Fire razes Ekiosa market in Edo

Traders at the Ekiosa market in Benin, the Edo State capital, will have a bleak Christmas following a fire outbreak that razed the market yesterday afternoon.

It was gathered that goods worth hundreds of millions of naira were destroyed in the fire that lasted several hours before the fire service guided by combined team of security agencies brought it under control.

It was gathered that the fire started around 12pm and spread to all parts of the market and the nearby Edo State Property and Development Agency Building thereby destroying documents and property worth millions of naira.

It was learnt that the state fire department and that of the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company arrived about 30 minutes after the fire broke out, but were chased away by angry traders under the suspicion that they may give special attention to the government owned affected structures.

Speaking with journalists at the scene, the state commissioner for Youth and Special duties, Damian Lawani, lamented that “Thirty minutes after the fire broke out, the state fire service and two from the NPDC came but the youths attacked them and had to run back. The Army fire fight, UNIBEN and Delta State were able to come after we have mobilized Army, police and Airforce to the scene. When we called the NPDC, they told us that their boys were injured during the attack,”

“The new twist is worrisome because the youths are out to loot property instead of sympathizing with victims. If they had not attacked the fire fighters we brought in 30 minutes after the fire started, most of the property would have been saved,”

Meanwhile, the chairman, Oredo local government area, Jekins Osunde, who sympathized with the traders, assured that the council would meet with them to see how to cushion the effect of the fire.